At Any Cost
by Fly-Girl222
Summary: 2nd in 'Culnac' series an AU crossover with VOY, DS9, and SG-1, list inside. Tom tells the crew nearly everything with dire circumstances. Now, one species will do anything to keep a secret. Please, R&R! Complete!
1. Big Mess

'Culnac' Series:

1st: 'Culnac's Logs'

2nd: 'At Any Cost' (this one)

3rd: 'The Power of the Q' (already out on )

Disclaimer- Paramount owns Star Trek and the other people own Stargate SG-1, I'm just borrowing them. But, the stories are MINE!!!

Summary- Continued from 'Culnac's Logs'. Tom tells the crew almost everything, but with dire circumstances! Tom has jeopardized the crew and the ones that might destroy them will do anything to keep a secret.

At Any Cost- Ch.1- Big Mess

Before

"Captain," I started. "I need to tell you and everyone else something, something that has been kept secret for hundreds of years. Also, almost no one knows about a species that has been living amongst Starfleet, the Federation, Earth, and the Alpha Quadrant in general. They're called the Tok'ra, and I'm one of them."

Now

"You're a what?" Janeway asked. "Mister Paris if this is one of your jokes..."

"No, Captain, it's not." I got up from the so called bed. "The Tok'ra are in a way the Goa'uld, only, we're against the Goa'uld. Tok'ra in the Goa'uld language is resistance. Since I'm part of the resistance, I'm against them. Hathor is one of the Goa'uld, what she said about me being a Goa'uld is absurd. Captain, Hathor is known throughout the years and about two hundred years ago, the Tok'ra found a liquid that needs to be injected into the blood stream to keep the hosts alive for longer periods of time except for the normal one hundred years. That stuff is highly addictive and we have to take it every three days. Captain, since you sorta blew up my ship, you blew up a case of that stuff that I need. I've been without it for three weeks, I need it or else I'll die in like one week. You can get it in the replicater, under Tok'ra Inter Fifteen. Please, I'll die if I don't have it, please Captain. You can ask me anything after you give that to me."

"How do we know that it's not something like poison or an instant transporter? Why should we believe you anyway?" Janeway asked.

"Have the Doc check it out. Please Captain, I need it, badly." I sat back down on the bed and looked at them. "The rumor is that if you don't get it for more than one month, you die a horrible, painful death. It's been three weeks and I've got the horrible, painful part down. That only leaves the death part, and I plan to not die, yet."

"Get that injection stuff from the replicater and take it to the Doctor for him to analyze it." Janeway said.

"Captain, this course of action is illogical." Tuvok replied. Janeway held up her hand.

"I know, but Mister Paris's information may be worth this illogical course of action. After the Doctor analyzes it, if it's what Mister Paris says it is or the Doctor doesn't know what it is, bring it to back here and give it to Mister Paris. After that bring him to the briefing room, I think this is something the senior staff should know." Captain Janeway left for the Bridge, no doubt to gather the senior staff. Tuvok was right behind her, going for a replicater.

"You just got yourself into serious hell, Paris." Lt. Mica said. (He's the Trill that told Tom what was happening while he was gone.)

"Don't worry Mica, I won't tell them about the Stargate. They aren't ready for that. You think I should tell them about the Asgard? What about my other hosts?" I asked lying down.

"I don't know, this is your entire fault, so don't get me into this mess. But, I wouldn't let Tameth out if I were you. For all you know things could get out of hand and you could end up in bed with Janeway, all because of Tameth." He smiled.

"I think I should, show them that I can tell them everything I know." I winked.

"You know me and the rest of the Trills won't tell them anything except what you tell the senior staff, it's all up to you, Tom. It's your call. Just, as soon as you make your call, leave us out of it."

"I don't know about that. I might have to tell Janeway that the Tok'ra and the Trill are really good friends." We smiled and Mica went back to work.

He was right; I did get myself into one hell of a mess. I guess I would have to tell them about the Asgard, prove that all those alien ships might've been Asgard. Also tell them that they're little gray men, not green. Also, that I do sorta have a split personality. Plus, that that incident was off the record.

How the hell did I get myself into this mess? Why me?


	2. The Tok'ra

At Any Cost- Ch.2- The Tok'ra  
  
"Do you think that we should trust him?" Chakotay asked. He and the rest of the senior staff, with the exception of Tuvok, were sitting around the briefing room table. They let Neelix join in on this particular briefing along with Kes, with her medical tricorder. "I mean, he did leave us for dead. Then, he comes back after joining Hathor with her attempt to kill us. Now he wants us to trust us? For all we know, Tom could be crazy; he could be making up this whole story of the Tok'ra and all!" Chakotay stood up and Janeway walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Calm down, Chakotay." Janeway looked at him then looked around the room. "That goes for everyone, calm down; I know most of you don't trust Mister Paris at the moment, but don't do something you'll regret. We need to hear him out."  
  
"What if Chakotay is right? What if Tom's just making this whole thing up?" Harry said.  
  
"He's probably making it up. We can prove he's making it up." B'Elanna answered.  
  
"We can't prove he's lying." Janeway replied sitting down. "I want everyone to hear him out. Even though the possibility of him lying is very possible, he also might be telling the truth."  
  
"But Captain..." Neelix was about to say more, then I walked in.  
  
Everyone stared at me like I was a different person. I guess I was, in a sense. They finally learned I was a Tok'ra and now I'm probably going to die for that. Harry just shook his head. The poor guy thought he could trust me and now he thinks I'm a spy.  
  
"Hello, Captain." I said.  
  
"Mister Paris, please, take a seat." Janeway said motioning to a chair at the opposite side of her, away from the others.  
  
"Actually, I prefer to stand." I smiled, stupid mistake, if the Captain says take a seat, take it, and don't question her.  
  
"Mister Paris, you say that you're a member of a species called the Tok'ra. And the Tok'ra is against the Goa'uld, correct?" Janeway asked, folding her hands.  
  
"Correct, Captain." I answered.  
  
"Explain the Tok'ra to us." She was challenging me, wasn't she? Trying to see if I had a story and if I did then she was wondering if I could keep it straight.  
  
"Sure, Captain." I said. "If Kes examines me with the tricorder, she won't find any symbiote, or any trace of the serum. Go ahead Kes, try." I said, letting her pass the devise over me.  
  
"He's right, there's no symbiote, or any trace of the serum that Lieutenant Tuvok gave him." She said, sitting back down.  
  
"That's because the Tok'ra, unlike the Goa'uld, don't want to be found out." I started; this was going to take awhile. "We have found ways to mask the serum and the symbiote. It's imbedded in the symbiote and it's like a cloaking devise. The serum is made undetectable because the host might have to go through a physical or something. Also, we do have previous hosts. They aren't specifically chosen like the Trills do, we just get whoever's nearest them that's either a human, Trill, or Bajoran. Those are the only species that won't reject the symbiote."  
  
"What about Vulcan's? They are very much like humans." Tuvok asked. He had entered with me.  
  
"Good question." I said, about to answer. "The Vulcans can be used as hosts, but, no offence, the Tok'ra would rather die than let a Vulcan be a host." Janeway looked taken back. "Once, a Vulcan was a host to a Tok'ra, and it didn't turn out that well. His name was Secan."  
  
"Secan, was a very illogical man." Tuvok said. "He said that there was a species that existed, but they were in secret. He was a very unwise man. Do you intend to tell us that he was the host of a Tok'ra?"  
  
"Yes, Mister Tuvok, he was a host. Now you see why we don't like having hosts that were Vulcan." I said, smiling my cocky smile. "My symbiotes name is Culnac. And my previous hosts date back to the late twentieth century. There's Jack O'Neill, a human that died in the early twenty-first century, and Enin Tameth, a Bajoran that died by chance at the hands of Gul Dukat."  
  
"Is that what you meant by you having a vendetta against the Cardassians? Was it was Enin Tameth that was captured?" Chakotay asked, getting a little interested in this conversation.  
  
"Yes, he was captured by Dukat and he escaped, only to be shot down and found by a Starfleet shuttle. I was on that shuttle and I was only fifteen when I became a host." I was looking up when I told them that, then, when I looked back down, they were all staring at me sympathetically. "Anyway, the Tok'ra had advanced to the point where they could keep the soul of the past lives in the symbiant. They could live in their own sort of Holodeck in the symbiant. They would know what was happening around them and would offer suggestions. Like right now, Tameth is saying, 'Shut up, what's wrong with you? Stop saying what I'm say!' The host could also use the past's hosts abilities, if needed.  
  
Also, another advancement was that one of the previous hosts could take over when the current host has some physical or emotional problem. The current host would completely change appearance, voice, and mental capability. The host would look exactly like the previous host that took over in his or her prime. The host will recuperate in one of the mini Holodecks in the symbiant. When the host feels that he or she is perfectly fine, they can take over their body again.  
  
Like Jack could take control of my body and could turn into him when I'm in some sort of depression, or I can relinquish control to Jack." I was about to continue, but B'Elanna interrupted.  
  
"Prove it; prove it to us that you can change people." B'Elanna said.  
  
"Lieutenant Torres," Janeway said crisply.  
  
"That's alright, Captain." I interrupted. "I can understand why she wants me to prove it. Fine, I will, who would you like to meet?" I asked.  
  
"I think that we would like to meet both Jack O'Neill and Enin Tameth." Captain Janeway said. 


	3. Colonel Jack O'Neill

At Any Cost- Ch.3- Colonel Jack O'Neill  
  
"Both?" I asked, a little stunned. "Okay, Captain. I just want to note, Jack used to be a Colonel in the United States Air Force, so he's in one of the uniforms. And Tameth, well, he prefers to be called by his first name and doesn't like formalities too much. Also, I should warn you that-" I stopped for a minute, thinking. "Never mind, you'll find out. You'll definitely find out."  
  
_**Dammit!**_ I thought. _**I thought only Jack would be fine, but noooo, she has to meet both. Why did I even ask?**_  
  
"Okay, Mister Paris. Let's meet Colonel O'Neill first." Captain Janeway said, getting ready. I looked around and it looked like everyone was bracing themselves-well, except Tuvok-for some big explosion or something, weird.  
  
Here goes, God help me. I closed my eyes and the next thing I knew, I was in the symbiote's little Holodeck thingy with Tameth staring at me with an evil grin.

_ "I get to meet Kathryn." He kept on smiling.  
  
"Tameth," I started, moving toward him, our heights almost equal. "We have to go over some rules here, okay.  
  
One, don't flirt with, touch, kiss, or hug the Captain. I don't want to hear it, the senior staff doesn't want to hear it, and I'm definitely sure Janeway doesn't want to hear it, which brings me to number two. If you do flirt with her, I'm gonna have hell to pay, and so will you.  
  
Three, at most tell them about the Asgard, not the Stargate. Jack already knows not to, so that only leaves you. Only answer the questions they ask.  
  
Four, when they talk, you don't. Shut-up for once in your life. Just listen, okay? Those rules set clear enough for you?" I stared at him.  
  
"I get to meet Kathryn." Tameth started smiling again.  
  
"Why do I even bother?" I asked, rhetorically.  
  
"I don't know." Tameth was still grinning, pacing back and forth.  
  
"You know, I'm going to teach you the meaning of a rhetorical question. It's a question you're not supposed answer, stupid."_

My body was turning into Jack's, and the next thing Jack knew, he was staring at Janeway and the rest of the senior staff.  
  
"Hello, Captain Janeway." Jack smiled. He was in his green Air Force uniform, missing the SGC symbol on his arm. He had gray hair and was smiling. "I see Tom decided to show off. I knew he shouldn't have told you guys, but does he ever listen to me? Nope, just listen to Tameth whine and then get angry at him for not know what a rhetorical question is. It gets old, but it's usually funny."  
  
"Colonel Jack O'Neill I presume?" Captain Janeway stood up. They shook hands and Janeway offered Jack a seat. He took it and put his feet up on the table. Everyone stared at him.  
  
"Oh, sorry," Jack took his feet off the table. "it's been a long time since I've been in a briefing. Any questions you would like to ask? Keep in mind that I'm not one of the brighter people in the symbiote."  
  
"Colonel O'Neill, I can't help but realize that you and Mister Paris seem to be very alike." Janeway sat down in her chair and folded her hands.  
  
"From what I'm told, part of the previous hosts stay behind in the sub conscience, like the Trills." Jack said, trying to sound sophisticated. "Yeah, Tom's been told that he and I are alike, worse part is that Hathor said it to him. It's been over three hundred years and the so called 'god' still remembers me! I mean, I would remember someone that tried to kill me twice, but after three hundred years, I would forget."  
  
"You knew Hathor?" Chakotay asked surprised.  
  
"Knew? God, we ran into each other several times. The worst part is that after my team and I killed her 'supposedly' for the second time, we thought she was gone for good! Now, I find out she's still alive three weeks ago!" Jack threw his hands up at the end of his conversation. Everyone stared. "Again, sorry."  
  
"Your team and you fought the Goa'uld?" B'Elanna asked.  
  
"Yes, Sam Carter, Daniel Jackson, Jonas Quinn at one point, and my buddy T, or as his real name is, Teal'c, a Jaffa." Jack looked around. "You guys do know what a Jaffa is, right? I know for a fact that the Captain here said something about the Goa'uld."  
  
"We know what a Jaffa is." Harry interjected. "Have you met any other Goa'uld?"  
  
"Tons, so many that I have lost count." Jack said.  
  
"What are some that you remember the most?" Neelix asked.  
  
"Well, there's Hathor, Osiris, Ra, Anubis, Apophis, and Yu are the ones that stand out most." Jack said.  
  
"Me?" Neelix asked. "I'm not a Goa'uld."  
  
"I know." Jack smiled. "It's just a little joke Sam's father played on me when he said what Goa'uld Daniel was going to meet with. I decided to play the joke on you, obvious choice."  
  
"You and Tom are more than a little alike. You guys are practically the same." Kes said.  
  
"Yeah, so Tom's been told!" Jack laughed along with Kes.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill, if you don't mind, I was wondering if we can talk to Tameth, if that's okay with you." Janeway asked getting up and moving towards Jack. Jack stood up.  
  
"Sure, no problem, I think Tom's done yelling at him." Jack smiled and he and Janeway shook hands. "It's been nice meeting all of you, and Captain." Jack looked at the Captain. "Be careful, and remember, if Tameth gets outta control, we'll be right on his case. Don't worry, just be careful."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Janeway asked, getting a little suspicious. "Tom said the same thing, what are you two talking about?"  
  
"You'll find out, good luck." Jack looked around. "Good luck to all of you."


	4. Tameth and a Lot of Hell

At Any Cost- Ch. 4- Tameth and a Lot of Hell  
  
Jack turned into Tameth. Tameth was tall, had short cut brown hair, and nose ridges (duh, Bajoran). He was a fairly strong guy and very imposing. He was wearing sunglasses, a black base ball hat, a white tee- shirt, black pants, boots, and he was wearing an evil grin. He took off his sunglasses and looked around the room with his brown eyes, and then his gaze fell upon Janeway.  
  
"Captain Kathryn Janeway, pleasure to meet you." Tameth smiled wickedly.  
  
"Enin Tameth, I presume?" Janeway looked at him suspiciously. She stuck out her hand. Tameth shook it and he followed the Captain to her chair. "Your seat is over there, Tameth."  
  
"I know I just prefer standing next to beautiful people." Tameth smiled. Everyone looked at him then at Janeway. The Captain blushed a little bit.  
  
"Let me guess, this is why Colonel O'Neill and Mister Paris said to be careful." She asked.  
  
"Oh don't listen to them, they're too stupid." Tameth laughed. "They think that just because they're taller and more of tough guy than me. But I'm the smarter one. Tom got so protective of this crew; he even made up rules for me to follow! But did Jack get any rules? Nope because Tom doesn't trust me all because I may have a little crush on you." Tameth pointed to Captain Janeway.  
  
"Just to be safe, what are the rules Tom set for you?" Janeway asked, getting a little uneasy.  
  
"Oh I don't remember much. Something about not touching the Captain at all, don't flirt with the Captain, and something about shutting-up. I do tend to talk a lot..." Tameth continued for about another five minutes and B'Elanna got a little aggregated.  
  
"Shut-up!" She stood up. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but follow Tom's rules, I'm guessing that this is one of the reasons he set them!"  
  
"Lieutenant Torres," Janeway stood up too and starting moving towards her, but was intercepted.  
  
"Don't worry Captain." Tameth moved next to B'Elanna and started staring at her. "I can see why she yelled. She's half-Klingon, yelling is usually a Klingon trait. Believe me, I know. I did spend nearly twenty years around them."  
  
"Why were you around them?" B'Elanna asked, them standing face to face.  
  
"Tom never tells you people anything does he?" Tameth whined. "Oh well, I was a diplomat for the Bajorans. Spent twenty years with the Klingons and I'm sure Tuvok here remembers me from the U.S.S. Excelsior." Everyone stared at Tuvok.  
  
"Mister Tameth was being transported to Earth when we engaged in battle. I do remember escorting him to his quarters." Tuvok said calmly.  
  
"Yeah, so I spent twenty years with Klingons." Tameth said, trying to look impressing. "Who here has been to Q'onoS?" He asked looking around.  
  
"I visited there once." B'Elanna replied. "I am half-Klingon, you know."  
  
"That you are." Tameth said pointing to her, he moved towards the Captain. "B'Elanna, may I call you B'Elanna?"  
  
"No." B'Elanna replied hastily.  
  
"B'Elanna," Tameth stood in a statue pose. "Ever seen this pose for a statue?"  
  
"Yes." B'Elanna replied. They looked at each other and B'Elanna was a bit shocked. "Do you mean to tell me that you're that Enin Tameth?"  
  
"Yep, the one and only non-Klingon war hero named Tameth. You Klingons love me so much you made a statue out of me." Tameth sat down in the Captain's chair.  
  
"War hero?" Harry asked a little stunned.  
  
"Yep, pretty boy, war hero. Fought in a couple wars and was always on the winning side. Pretty good with a Bat'leth if I may say so myself." Tameth put his feet up.  
  
"Get out of my seat." Janeway said bluntly giving Tameth a death glare.  
  
"Actually, war heroes should be treated with a lot more respect than you give us, me included." Tameth smiled. They looked at each other for a moment. Tameth got up. "That's what I like in a woman, control. You're a very controlled person, you know."  
  
"Is there any relevance to you being here anymore, because we would like to have Mister Paris back?" Janeway said.  
  
"Actually, there is." Tameth decided to sit in his own chair. "Ever heard of the myth of little green men? Or that one guy that was in that television show Jack watches, damn what's it called again? Uhhh, oh yeah, Unexplained Mysteries, that's the show he watches. Ever hear the story of either the little green or gray men from Mars? Like Roswell... and other stuff like that."  
  
"Yes." Chakotay said. No one else seemed to have heard of Roswell, but have heard of the myth of 'little green men', except Tuvok, Kes, and Neelix. Chakotay filled them in on Roswell and all these people who said the government was keeping the secret of them holding alien life in Area 51.  
  
"Now, image that as true." Tameth smiled.  
  
"Another joke like Colonel O'Neill did?" Neelix asked.  
  
"No joke." He smiled a wicked grin. "Little gray men, about four feet tall with big black eyes, they're called the Asgard. Jack was the first human to meet them, he met an Asgard named Thor, but Tom decided that I should talk about them since I had a... interesting encounter with them.  
  
The Asgard race is incredibly smart and advanced. There was once an alliance of four great races in the galaxy. These were the Asgard, the Nox, the Furlings; Jack never met them, and the Ancients, I don't remember if Jack ever met them either."  
  
"So, you're telling us, that little gray men called the Asgard are extremely advanced, probably more than us. I find this very hard to believe. Do you have any proof?" Janeway asked sitting down in her chair.  
  
"Not really, but I do have an unexplained mystery that I know for certain the Asgard did." Tameth said. He sat up and stood next to the monitor in the briefing room. He pushed a couple buttons and a report on a Bajoran woman came up. "This was my old girlfriend, she was a Dabo girl and I thought that since I should ask her to marry me, I told her about the Asgard." He pushed a couple more buttons and it showed a video of a hall, no monitors, no control panels, just a plain hallway. "Pay close attention to what's about to happen." He pushed the play button, the video started.  
  
Tameth's girlfriend walked down the hallway, and then suddenly she got electrocuted. By what, it was not obvious, but what was obvious, was that she was dead. Tameth played it over and over several times. Then he stopped it.  
  
"Notice she was electrocuted, but she wasn't anywhere near anything that could've killed her." Tameth pushed a button again and the monitor went blank. "After I found out I was whisked away in a bright white light and was onboard an Asgard ship. Let me just say, they're such small guys, but they have huge ships! I got lost, but gladly I was only there once. Thor, our good buddy, or should I say Tom's and Jack's good buddy owned the ship.  
  
I was about to be put in front of the Asgard High Council, when I decided that I didn't want to be challenged, so I decided to make up a virus to put into their ships. It played music non-stop, still does." Janeway was a bout to say something when Tameth held his hand up. "I know what you're going to say, Captain. You're wondering why they didn't fix the virus because I said that they're a really intelligent species. Ever occurred to you that maybe we're too dumb, and they're too smart. Strangely enough, it's true. I have proof." Tameth went back to the monitor and pulled up a classified document. "It's something about Samantha Carter helping the Asgard defeats the incoming forces of their enemies, the replicators." Tameth looked around and it looked like everyone was about to burst out laughing, except for Tuvok.  
  
"Replicators, that's this intelligent species enemy, food replicators?" Kes asked.  
  
"Yeah, I knew all you guys would get a kick out of that." Tameth started to laugh. "No, these things are called replicators because they're little mechanical bugs that when shot with a Goa'uld weapon, burst into a lot of pieces, then rebuilds itself. But, when shot with a human weapon, you know like one of those old guns with bullets, it would take longer for them to put themselves back together. See before I died and before Dukat captured me, I was pushing for them to be named something else so they wouldn't be confused. I was thinking of their species to be called Remos or something. Tom says they should call their species Tameth so they know for sure that anything named Tameth is evil and weird. I thought-"  
  
"Well Tameth, it's been an honor talking to you, now, if you don't mind, I prefer having Mister Paris back, so goodbye, forever." Janeway went over to Tameth.  
  
"Oh you're not getting me away that easily, I'm-" Tameth fainted.  
  
"What the hell?" Janeway asked bending over him. The whole senior staff was hovering over him. Kes was passing the medical tricorder over Tameth.  
  
"I don't know what's wrong with him." Kes said. "I think we should take him to sickbay, just in case it's something serious."  
  
"Agreed. Janeway to Transporter room one." Janeway called.  
  
"Transporter room one here, Captain."  
  
"Beam, Kes and..." Janeway looked around. "And the person she's touching to sickbay." Kes and Tameth were beamed away in a shiny blue light. "I don't think anyone should know about this until it is absolutely necessary. Chakotay, Tuvok, accompany me to Sickbay to see if Tameth is fine. Dismissed." 


	5. You're Dead!

At Any Cost- Ch. 5- You're Dead!  
  
Captain Janeway, Chakotay and Lt. Tuvok walked into Sickbay. The EMH was standing over Tameth, scanning him. He stopped scanning Tameth then just looked at Janeway, Chakotay, and Tuvok. "I wonder if this guy is more annoying than Mister Paris." The EMH asked more to himself than to Janeway and the others.  
  
"Tameth is more annoying, believe me." Janeway answered. "How's he doing? Can we get Mister Paris back?"  
  
"I have no clue if our new friend is fine or not." The Doc said. "Since Kes has told me that he's not Bajoran, but a Tok'ra, I have no clue if he should be fine. I think it's up to Mister Paris to come out. Until then, the most I can do is to show you what's going on in one of their minds."  
  
"You can do that?" Chakotay asked.  
  
"Yes, it's a very complex procedure, I could tell you, but it would take several hours to explain." The EMH smiled. "I'll root the brain images to the holodeck." He pushed some buttons, then looked up and nodded, with that they could go into the holodeck to watch.  
  
Janeway, Chakotay, and Tuvok walked into a turbolift, and once inside, Tuvok ordered it to deck six. The turbolift started and Chakotay asked, "Should we ask the rest of the senior staff to join us?"  
  
"What purpose would that serve?" Tuvok asked.  
  
"They already know Paris is a Tok'ra, maybe, since Paris has told us about this 'holodeck in the brain' thing, we should let them see what's going on in there." Chakotay replied. Tuvok and Chakotay looked at the Captain.  
  
"I agree with Commander Chakotay, we should let them learn what's going on." She looked at Tuvok and he didn't seem to care, seem being the key word. Janeway tapped her combadge. "Senior staff, please report to holodeck two immediately." The turbolift stopped and Janeway, Chakotay, and Tuvok got out of the turbolift.  
  
They waited inside for the others. Gradually, the others came, including Kes and Neelix, but the Doctor had to stay in his office to find out if Tameth was fine or not.  
  
"The Doctor has found a way for us to see what's going on in one of theirs holodeck brains. They won't be able to see us, but we can see them." Janeway pushed a couple buttons and the holodeck grid disappeared into darkness. There was one light, in the middle of the room, where Jack and Tameth were standing.  
  
_ "He's gonna kill you." Jack said to Tameth.  
  
"Where is he?" Tameth asked looking around.  
  
"As soon as you flirted with the Captain, he went into the darkness." Jack said looking around. "He probably went into a dark corner or something."  
  
"Which corner?" Tameth asked, looking behind him.  
  
"I don't know. I don't even know how many corners are in this room!" Jack said, still looking around. "You better watch out. He's been quiet, hasn't even said a word."  
  
"That's not like him. What the hell did I do?" Tameth asked. Then a hand clasped onto his right shoulder. Tameth jumped a bit, and was about to run, but another hand clasped onto his left shoulder restraining him from running.  
  
"What did you do?" I asked, slightly coming from the darkness. "What did you do? What kind of question is that? What didn't you do?"  
  
"Well, I didn't sleep with the Captain, I didn't-" Tameth started, but I turned him around.  
  
"Rhetorical question! Haven't you gotten through your head, rhetorical question is a question you don't answer!" I shouted, letting go of him. "Anyway, I don't even want to hear what you didn't do! I set rules and you know what you did to them?"  
  
"Well-" Tameth started, but looked at my face and shut his mouth.  
  
"At least you learned one thing from all this. You learned what a rhetorical question is. Celebration everyone, let's celebrate Tameth learning something for once!" I started singing "For He Finally Learned Something!" in the tune of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow."  
  
Tameth walked over to Jack. "I actually made him this crazy?"  
  
"I guess. For once, you actually pushed Tom over the edge." Jack said. He walked over to me and reminded me what Tameth did. I stopped and walked over to Tameth.  
  
"You flirted with the Captain! What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked.  
  
"Obviously, you've told me twenty billion times that there's a lot of things wrong with me." Tameth answered smiling. He knew that wasn't the answer I was expecting.  
  
"For once, Tameth, I didn't mean that as a rhetorical question." I said. I started to lighten up. "Anyway, next time, which there won't be, follow my rules and don't flirt, touch, or even talk to the Captain. You know that she's gonna kill me as soon as I get back. And, why did you do the pose? Why?"  
  
"I had to challenge your little girlfriend to prove that she actually knew something about the Klingon side of hers history." Tameth smiled. "Plus, it was about time someone knew who I was. I'm a famous non-Klingon warrior and I deserve to be recognized!"  
  
"First things first, B'Elanna's not my girlfriend, she's a friend that I talk to. I talk to the Captain; it doesn't make her my girlfriend." I was about to say more, but Tameth interrupted me.  
  
"You're right, Kathryn's my girlfriend." Tameth smiled a wicked grin.  
  
"Gee," Jack said. "Sometimes I wonder why he never ascended. He's so loveable." Jack and I cracked up.  
  
"Yeah, and with his attitude and his so called 'charm' he'll have Janeway as a girlfriend in no time!" We started laughing even harder.  
_  
"It seems that the Doctor was right in saying that they can't see us." Janeway said. She could tell, even through the darkness, that Chakotay, Harry, and Neelix were trying very hard to conceal they're laughter from my joke.  
  
"Tom was right in assuming that you'd kill him." B'Elanna spoke up.  
  
"Shhh. Don't remind her." Harry elbowed B'Elanna in the arm and she punched him back.  
  
_We stopped laughing, but we still had little smiles. "Second of all, I think B'Elanna knows plenty of Klingon history." I said in B'Elanna's defense. "Thirdly, you aren't recognized that well because you're a dead and how often do you remember the dead? Anyway, if you were a famous Klingon warrior, when Dukat captured you, wouldn't you have fought back completely and would've gotten out sooner than you did; maybe even alive now if that was possible?"  
  
"Not funny, you and I know that Dukat is like impossible to kill. Then, when you do think that you killed him, he comes back alive and he's smiling his stupid smile that I just wish I could rip off of him and shove it down his throat." Tameth went on trying to say how he was going kill Dukat and he was illustrating with his hands. He stopped right in the middle and saw me leaning back along with Jack next to me. "Sorry, I get carried away sometimes. Anyway, I'm sure Chakotay feels the same way as me."  
  
"Tameth, you flirted with her! Now I'm gonna die." I whined.  
  
"Hey, don't forget, we chose Chakotay as the next host, so get killed near him!" Jack smiled.  
  
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Jack. I gotta go be me and not have you guys parading around. I think Tameth caused enough damage in twenty minutes than Dukat did to Bajor. Later." I said.  
_  
Everything went black and the holodeck returned to normal. The senior staff just looked at each other, and then they all looked at Janeway, except Tuvok. "I think we should all greet Mister Paris in Sickbay when he wakes up." Janeway said. They all nodded in agreement, except Tuvok, and they all walked to Sickbay.  
  
When I woke up the doctor was standing over me. "Welcome back, Mister Paris." The doc said. I grabbed my head, huge headache! "Ah, yes, you do have a very nasty headache." The doc lowered his voice and I started rubbing my nose in pain. "I'm guessing that you're nose is hurting from the 'magical' disappearance of your counterparts, Enin Tameth's, nose. Mister Paris, I want to warn you that-"  
  
Just then, Janeway, Tuvok, and the other senior staff members entered Sickbay. Janeway came over to me.  
  
"'With his attitude and his so called 'charm' he'll have Janeway as a girlfriend in no time!'" Janeway quoted. "Don't think that we didn't hear your little conversation, Mister Paris. The doctor found a way to see what's going on in one of yours minds." I gave a death glare to the EMH. "We saw you from when you scared Tameth, until the end. Mister Paris, before you say anything, I still find this concept of you being a Tok'ra almost completely out of this galaxy to believe. I'm still going to confine you to the Brig for several days at least. I need to think about believing you. And we need to decide weather or not you're telling the truth." 


	6. Under Attack

At Any Cost- Ch.6- Under Attack  
  
It's been two days and I'm still in the brig. Janeway told the rest of the crew, and now even Neelix is a little afraid of me. No one comes to visit, but Mica was around, watching me. We talked once in a while, but it wasn't the same as before I told Janeway and the others about me being a Tok'ra. Janeway doesn't come around often, neither does Tuvok or Chakotay or even Harry. I guess friendship can't withstand the truth.  
  
It was quiet. Mica was looking at his console, while I was standing and pacing back and forth. Suddenly, the ship rocked back and forth. We were hit! I tried to keep my balance by holding onto the wall, but I fell as soon as we were hit again.  
  
"Red Alert!" Janeway's voice came over the comm. "Report to battle stations, we're under attack!" Mica ran out of the Brig leaving me alone.  
  
_**What about me?**_ I thought. _**Won't you need me on the Bridge? Are Kazon's attacking us or the Vidiians?**_  
  
I got my questions answered when I was beamed aboard the enemy ship.  
  
The ship had a huge hall, probably a big ship. Beamed next to me was my blue baseball hat that I got ten years ago, Jadzia Dax my ex-girlfriend, gave it to me for good luck, and I've kept it as a reminder of her, maybe I do sort of miss the Alpha Quadrant. I put it on, this ship seemed so familiar. Then, after I stared down the hall for a moment, everything clicked. I was on an Asgard ship! They were the ones that attacked Voyager! But why did they attack Voyager? Me. They attacked because I told the crew about the Tok'ra and the Asgard. This is it, they're gonna kill the crew.  
  
"Thomas Eugene Paris, please report to determination room two." called a voice, no doubt Asgard. "Please follow your escort." I could hear music in the background. No doubt Tameth's little virus still couldn't be taken out of the Asgard systems. I looked around for my escort.  
  
"Tommyboy..." Q poked his head out from around a corner. "Guess what? I'm your escort, so follow me." We started walking.  
  
"Why you?" I asked. "Paying off a debt or something?"  
  
"Nope, I hang out here, remember?" Q replied. "Besides, Thor loves me. We're buddies."  
  
"The only 'buddy' you have is Satan." I said.  
  
"He's actually quite nice, Tommyboy. But don't worry, you'll meet Satan soon." Q said.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" I asked stopping Q in the hallway.  
  
"Between the three of you, this is your third strike. Remember? Tameth got one strike for telling his Dabo girl about the Tok'ra, and you got two, one for telling the lovely Captain and that crew of yours that you're a Tok'ra and the other strike for telling them about the Asgard. I believe in baseball, 'You're OUT!'" Q yelled doing the 'You're out' signal an old Umpire would do. I just shook my head and we continued walking, Q next to me. "Try making an excuse."  
  
"Like that would work?" I asked sarcastically.  
  
"I'll help you, but only if you do something for me in return." Q said, mysteriously, leading me into a dark corner.  
  
"Q," I started. "Asgard technology won't let you turn into something other than your humanoid form and it won't let you flick your fingers to go anywhere while you're on the ship. How could you even think of helping me when you can't even help yourself?"  
  
"Fine, be that way. Follow me." We left the corner and we started walking towards determination room two. I wonder why they still keep these huge halls, even though they're still small... aliens. I wonder how the battle with the Replicators is going. I think I should get the name changed, avoid confusion. I put it on a list in my head; to keep myself busy, I thought of different names for the replicators.  
  
"Here we are death I mean determination room two." Q tried to recover from his mistake. "I'll wait out here. Just to see if you make it out alive." Q did that sort of evil laugh those old evil villains used to do.  
  
I walked into the room. It was dark, nothing in the room, except a pad that looked like a transporter pad, only white, in the middle of the room. It was the same thing Jack used when he was asking for the Asgard to help that planet that Jack and SG-1 doomed by going into the sun and turned the sky orange. Then, I saw something move out from the darkness.  
  
"Lieutenant Thomas Eugene Paris?" The figure asked. It came into the light, and I could tell that it was and Asgard.  
  
"Yes, I'm Tom Paris. Aren't there supposed to be other Asgard around?" I asked.  
  
"You will step onto this, alongside me." I guess 'it' motioned me towards the light and I stood on the pad. I looked down, and there, was Thor.  
  
"Thor?" I asked, just checking.  
  
"Yes, I am Thor." Thor said. "I guess the memories of Colonel O'Neill and Mister Enin Tameth are in your mind. Lieutenant Paris, I will be defending you in the trial. I just need you to tell me why you told the crew."  
  
"Oh." I started, thinking of the best way to put it. "Well, ya see, the crew deserved to know, I know I'm not supposed to tell them, but the Goa'uld started it!" Yes, perfect, blame it on the Goa'uld! "Hathor wasn't supposed to attack Voyager, or any Earth ship! She knows that! It's part of the treaty, right?"  
  
"Correct, section four paragraph eight states that they are not allowed to attack any Earth vessel, whether it is ocean ship, starship, or any other kind, it is not allowed." Thor replied. "But, why you tell them about us, the Asgard, and you, the Tok'ra?"  
  
"I dunno," I started. "it just happened."  
  
"In your report, you wondered if you should tell them or not." Thor said. Damn I thought they didn't know about the report. Wait, I thought. how did they know about the report? I didn't send it, yet.  
  
"Hey, Thor, how did you guys know about the report? I sent up all the parts except for the report about what happened three weeks ago." I asked.  
  
"Do not underestimate the technology of the Asgard, Lieutenant Paris." Thor said, raising his finger. "We have been watching your every move since you obtained the Culnac symbiote."  
  
"Every moment?" I asked. "Listen, about what happened when Jadzia was over-"  
  
"Not every single moment, Lieutenant Paris, only the important events. We make you write the reports to see if you inform us everything that happened, just to make certain that you are telling us everything." Thor said. "Be ready to start the trial, Lieutenant Paris."  
  
"Uh, Thor?" I asked quickly.  
  
"Yes, Lieutenant?"  
  
"There's this problem with the replicators." I started. "I think we should change the name, you know to eliminate confusion."  
  
"Something tells me that you have already selected a name." Thor said and I nodded yes. "We will talk about it in front of the council after the trial."  
  
"Thor, isn't there a possibility of me dying?" I asked. The trial started, all the Asgard's appeared.  
  
"Yes, Lieutenant Paris that is the more probable outcome." Thor replied. Not a good sign. "Your crew will also be executed. They will face the consequences of your actions. That, Lieutenant, is going to be the outcome." 


	7. The Trial

At Any Cost- Ch. 7- The Trial  
  
"You mean, that no matter what, they're all gonna die?" I asked.  
  
"Only if you aren't excused, Lieutenant. If you are excused -which you probably won't be- your crew and you will survive." Thor turned his attention from me to the Asgard in the trial. "We are ready, head High Councilor Naffer."  
  
The trial had two what looked like judges, sitting right in front of us; both were in high silver chairs with a desk to match the height of the chairs. In front, was one Asgard, just standing, probably there for security. Over to my right were several Asgards, they were probably the jury. To my left were two Asgards, they were probably the prosecutors.  
  
"As are we, Commander Thor," Naffer responded. Naffer stood up. 'She', guessing that the Asgard was a woman, looked from me to Thor and walked over to us; she stood about a little above my waist. "Lieutenant Thomas Eugene Paris, you told your Starfleet senior staff that you were a Tok'ra. You also had Colonel Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neill tell the senior staff about the Asgard. The Captain of your ship eventually told the rest of your crew everything that you told them. What do you have to say about this?" Naffer went back to her seat and waited for me to talk. I looked at Thor for him to give me the go ahead to talk. Thor nodded.  
  
"Head High Councilor Naffer," I started. How was I going to explain this? "I told them, because they deserved to know." The Asgard's looked sort of taken aback. "We've been keeping the existence of the Asgard and the Tok'ra a secret for so long now, that it was time they should know." I stopped, and looked around to make sure I wasn't getting that 'what's-wrong- with-you?' look. They were Asgard's, so I couldn't tell, just like Vulcans. "It's not like they're going to tell the Federation about them any time soon. The Voyager crew was first attacked by Hathor." Perfect!!!! "She broke the treaty. She attacked a human vessel. She told them I was a Goa'uld! To protect myself and Culnac, I had to tell them. They don't believe me anyway!"  
  
Naffer just stared. Defiantly not a good sign, Thor looked up at me, wondering if I was going to say anything more.  
  
"Head High Councilor Naffer, what Mister Paris is trying to say is that we, the Asgard, should finally expose ourselves to the other species." Thor said. "The Tok'ra should also be shown throughout his Galaxy."  
  
"Lieutenant Thomas Eugene Paris, do you understand the consequences of your actions?" Naffer asked.  
  
"Yes, I understand. I know that I will be punished for my actions." I said, getting a little on edge by the moment.  
  
"Your ship will also have a punishment, a very serious punishment. Their deaths will be on your conscious, Lieutenant Paris." She stood again. "The High Council will decide the verdict of this trial. You and Thor may wait outside." The council disappeared, and we were back in the dark room. Thor and I walked outside the room, where Q was sitting in a chair half his size. He stood up immediately when we came out.  
  
"Well? What's going to happen to Tommyboy here?" Q asked tapping my chest.  
  
"They're deliberating over if they should kill me or not." I said.  
  
"If you excuse me, I need to run a ship." Thor said walking past Q. "Your ship, Lieutenant Paris is still worried that we might attack again. They are as Colonel O'Neill used to say, 'dead in the water.'"  
  
Thor left us and I sat down in the chair that was way too small for me. I'm dead, I thought. Trouble just keeps following me around. I never even kissed B'Elanna! Where did that come from? Do I like her like her? Stop asking, that's a stupid question, it's obvious you do. No, it was just a passing thought. Yeah, that thought keeps popping up every two seconds. Wait, I'm fighting with myself, that's not a good thing. I need a doctor or something. How about a psychiatrist?  
  
"Find a bargaining chip, Tommyboy." Q said jarring me from my thoughts.  
  
"Q, what am I supposed to give the people that are way superior then me?" I asked. "They have almost all the things anyone in the Federation has."  
  
"Oh well, looks like your dead." Q said pacing. He said exactly what I was thinking. I stood up and leaned up against the wall. Q came over a suddenly hugged me. "I'll miss ya Tommyboy. I'll miss me getting so angry you can practically see the steam coming from your ears and you turning so red that you can cook an egg on your face."  
  
"Q?" I asked, him still hugging me.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Let go, or I'll make sure that you face the same punishment as me." With that he let go and pretended like nothing happened. I just wanna die now, get it over with and get way away from Q. 


	8. The Bargaining Chip

At Any Cost- Ch.8- The Bargaining Chip  
  
After Q stopped hugging me, it was one of those, awkward moments. I was still leaning against the wall, and Q was still pacing the corridor. Why do the Asgard's have such big ships when they're so small? I mean, we have small compared to theirs, with three times as many times people on board than them.  
  
"Q, I need to save them. How am I gonna save them?" I asked, sounding almost as desperate as I was.  
  
"I don't know Tommyboy, if I knew, I would tell you." Q said, I think genuinely. "But, you know the Asgard, they probably thought of every possible way you could get around dying and prevented it. They're superior; it's obvious that you're done for."  
  
Then, everything clicked. They're superior! And we're dumb!!!  
  
"Q!" I practically screamed standing up. I went over and stopped Q from pacing. "They're superior!"  
  
"Yes." Q said, looking at me like I was crazy. "They are superior, and you just realized that?"  
  
"Q, do you remember what Tameth did?" I asked it was obvious of what he had done, because there was still music playing in the background.  
  
"No, I stayed away from Tameth, he scared me." Q said a little embarrassed.  
  
"Scared, of the idiot?" I asked. "Anyway, listen." Q listened for a second and looked a little puzzled. "The punk rock music, do you hear it?" Q looked at me and nodded yes. "Tameth did that like two hundred years ago! All because the Asgard is too smart and we're too dumb!"  
  
"Okay, so we have to blackmail them with music?"  
  
"No, we find a way to turn off the music and tell the Asgard!" I was smiling.  
  
"Okay, do you think that would be enough?" Q asked.  
  
"They've been trying to find a way to turn off the music for years. If I come along with the answer, because we're too dumb, then the Asgard will probably let the other species know they exist along with the Tok'ra! It's so simple!" I said celebrating.  
  
"How do you turn off the music?" I froze, forgot about that.  
  
I walked over to Q and opened my mouth. Then I closed it. "That's the problem." I said. I started pacing.  
  
Maybe I should ask Tameth, I thought. He created the thing, maybe he can destroy it.  
  
_ 'No way!' Tameth screamed from the back of my head. 'I programmed it so that it will stay around forever, and I'll make sure it does!'  
  
I'll let you have control of the body for a day, I replied.  
  
'What one reason do I have to save you?'  
  
I'll give you two reasons. One, you won't just be saving me; you'll be saving your memory from dying. The second reason, Janeway.  
  
_There was a pause, not long, but not quick.  
  
_ 'Make it two days.'  
  
One day, and that day will be when I'm back on board Voyager.  
  
'And not in the Brig.'  
  
Okay, not in the Brig, I promise.  
  
'Fine, but I'm the only one that knows how to turn the virus off.'  
  
Okay, wait until I get the decision, and then you can have the body. But, the time you take turning the music off will take time away from your one day on Voyager.  
  
'Fine, fine, let me guess a punishment for even making this?'  
  
Actually, forget what I just said about taking that time away. Your little virus is the bargaining chip we need. Your saving Voyager's and mine's life by making it and keeping it stupid, yet smarter than me.  
  
'Finally! There's someone that sees me as a genius among us humanoids!'  
  
If you shut up now, I'll start listening to what you say more often.  
_  
"Tommyboy, you okay?" Q asked shaking me really hard. I looked at him questionably. "You were staring off into space."  
  
"Q, we just got our bargaining chip." I smiled. As soon as I said that, Q was about to say something, but above my head, there was a light that was flashing red. It was making a sound, announcing that it was time to go back to court.  
  
I saw Thor come around the corner.  
  
"Lieutenant Paris, it's time to find out what they say. If you please follow me." Thor said not even acknowledging Q.  
  
"Thor, I think I might have a way to save Voyager and myself." I said. "Is it still possible for me to change their minds?"  
  
"It will be difficult." Thor replied, me following him into the dark room. Obviously it would be difficult, the Asgard rarely change their minds! "If it were of interest to the High Council, they would consider a different punishment, or might not even have one at all." The trial was about to begin again. Perfect, I thought. I might not die! 


	9. At the Moment

At Any Cost- Ch. 9- At the Moment  
  
The dark room turned into the trial place again, with Naffer and the others. Naffer and the others were all standing.  
  
"Lieutenant Thomas Eugene Paris," Naffer started. Why do they say the whole name? "The Asgard High Council has talked about your and your crew's punishment. We have decided that-"  
  
"High Councilor Naffer," Thor interjected. Everyone, including me, snapped their heads in Thor's direction. He actually interrupted someone in a higher position!!! "Lieutenant Paris has something of interest to the High Council." Thor looked at me and Naffer nodded at me, letting me talk.  
  
"High Council Naffer, I know about one of my previous host's invention, or virus in this matter is the music playing." I said. "I know that all of you don't like the music and wish to get rid of it." All of them nodded in agreement. "Now, Enin Tameth, the man that created this virus has agreed to destroy the virus, under the conditions that the Voyager crew and I don't die and you tell the other species that you and the Tok'ra exist. He'll fix the virus and all you have to do is this."  
  
They all looked at me for a very long moment. Naffer went over to where the group of the Asgards, who I thought were the jury before, but now I guess I'm wrong. Naffer talked to each of them for one minute then she went back to where she was sitting.  
  
"Lieutenant Paris," Naffer said. "you can not go without punishment, but we see no point in destroying Voyager when Enin Tameth can delete the virus from our systems." So far it's working. "Your punishment will be decided at a later time. Now we just want to get rid of that music virus. We have agreed to your terms, Lieutenant Paris, even exposing ourselves to your galaxy. You and Thor are dismissed."  
  
"It worked!" I whispered to Thor.  
  
"Be careful Mister Paris," Naffer said just as we were about to go back to the dark room. "You still have a punishment, which means that we can call upon you at any time, just to fulfill your punishment, understood?" She sounded like Janeway, so controlled.  
  
"Understood, High Councilor Naffer." I said. "Oh, and there's that little problem with your enemy, the replicators, and the replicators that makes food. I just thought that we should change your enemy's name to Remo and so there won't be any confusion."  
  
"That will be acceptable." Naffer said. With that, the room turned back into that dark room, and I followed Thor back outside. Q was still sitting there.  
  
"Mister Paris, you and Colonel O'Neill are more alike than I thought." Thor said. "Both try to save either your crew or your world from destruction, while putting your own life on the line." With that, Thor was about to walk away, but then he stopped. "This time, I will stay with Tameth, making sure he doesn't think of creating another virus."  
  
_**Damn**_, Tameth and I thought. _**Foiled again.**_ I was doing the little foiled-again-evil-villain hands in my mind.  
  
"You did it?" Q asked.  
  
"Yeah," I said. "Just don't hug me."  
  
"So, you're not going to die?" Q asked a little suspiciously.  
  
"Nope, I'm staying alive for a while."  
  
"Oh." Q said looking even more suspicious and very disappointed. "I'll be right back." Q started to run away, but I grabbed him.  
  
"What did you do?" I asked.  
  
"Nothing, it's just that I kinda thought that the Voyager crew should die heroically, so I got the Vidiians and Kazon to fight them. They're on their way here." I looked at him shocked. "Don't worry I'll stop them. I'm omnipotent, Tommyboy, they'll be easy to stop." I let go of Q and he started back to the transporter room. "At least I hope." I heard him mutter.  
  
"Thor, why do you let him hang around here?" I asked as Thor led me to one of the control panels.  
  
"It was not my choice." Thor replied sounding helpless. "If any of the Q 'hang around' here then that helps relations between the Q and the Asgard. Believe me, Lieutenant Paris, I never wanted any of the Q able to walk around on our ships, but since our technology helps to keep them from using their powers, we have," Thor gave a sigh. "adapted to having them around."  
  
When Thor stopped talking, I transformed from me to Tameth.  
  
Tameth looked at the console then at Thor.  
  
"Long time no see." Tameth said and smiled an evil grin. Thor was about to say something like 'go to work' or something, but Tameth put up his hand up to stop him. "I know, I know, get to work. Geez Thor, you need to learn some manners, like say hi or something."  
  
"The Asgard has manners, but others like you do not give us the chance to show them." Thor replied. Tameth was about to interrupt Thor, but Thor imitated Tameth and put his hand up. Tameth reacted by stepping back, then he stepped forward again and was still shocked by what Thor did. "Now, since the greetings have already taken place, Enin Tameth, get to work... please."  
  
With that Tameth went back to the control panel and touched it only to get shocked by a force field.  
  
"Dammit." Tameth muttered, shaking his hand in pain. He turned to Thor.  
  
"I must have forgotten to turn off the force field. I am sorry, Enin Tameth." Thor said there was a hint of sarcasm and happiness in his voice, from what one could tell that is. Thor walked over to a main control board and put his hand on a part of the panel and the force field deactivated on his. He pushed a couple of buttons and the force field was taken down on Tameth's.  
  
"I see you guys have taken a lot of security measures since my last visit." Tameth smiled.  
  
"I suggest you get to work before Voyager is destroyed." Thor said.  
  
Tameth started to work on fixing the virus, which was Voyagers only way of staying alive, at the moment that is. 


	10. Home for Dinner

At Any Cost- Ch. 10- Home for Dinner  
  
"Well, there ya go, all fixed. No more music for you guys." Tameth said. He looked at Thor then at the entrance to the room. "Shouldn't Q have been back by now?"  
  
Thor looked at Tameth then at the door. "Yes, Q should have been back by now. It seems as though things probably are not going as planned for him." Thor said calmly. "Enin Tameth, you are dismissed, but I would like to see Lieutenant Paris again."  
  
"Fine, fine, fine, get rid of the guy you don't like and replace him with the guy you do like." Tameth muttered and shrugged. "Oh well, you can't win 'em all."  
  
_You never win, stupid!_ I said.  
  
Tameth turned back into me and I rubbed my nose. I hate turning back and forth, especially Tameth. Why did the second host have to be a Bajoran?  
  
"Lieutenant Paris, I believe Tameth has a point, Q should have been back by now. Something has probably gone wrong. Your crew might be in danger." Thor said immediately. "I'm going to transport you to your ship and will tell you if Q comes back."  
  
Thor was about to push the transporter button, when- "Thor, wait." I pleaded. "Captain Janeway and the others think I'm crazy. If you transport back with me, they'll know that I'm telling the truth." Thor didn't look too happy of that thought. "It would be the first public meeting between the Asgard and the Terrans. The High Council said that they would tell others they existed, why not start with Voyager?"  
  
Thor just stared at me. He seemed as if he was debating whether or not he should go. Finally, he touched with one of his right fingers to the back of his left hand, a weird glowing thing that I just noticed.  
  
"Commander Thor to the Bridge, I will be accompanying Lieutenant Paris to his ship. Sub-Commander Nisit, you are in command while I am away. Understood?" Thor said.  
  
_"Understood Commander Thor."_ Nisit replied.  
  
I just smiled; probably one of the first times that I have proof that I was right is coming to Voyager! Boy the crew is in for a shocker.  
  
"Thanks Thor." I said.  
  
"Lieutenant, I only ask for one thing in return, Tameth gets his day off one day after my ship leaves. I don't want O'Neill or Tameth coming out unexpectedly during my visit." Thor seemed a little worried, seemed being the key word.  
  
"Okay Thor, none of them will drop in, or drop out actually, to say hello, not even Jack." I was perfectly fine with that, no problem here. Thor nodded and pushed the transporter button. I was transported to the Bridge of Voyager. Thor was nowhere to be seen.  
  
I turned around in two complete circles finally giving up on seeing if Thor was anywhere on the Bridge. I looked around and saw that Tuvok had called two security guards to the Bridge and they had just appeared, the three of them had their phasers drawn. The man, Mica, and the woman, Ensign Sanders, came over to where I stood on the Bridge, which was right in front of the two command chairs. They grabbed me by the arms and I stated to struggle.  
  
"Now wait one god damn minute!" I cried. Mica and Sanders stopped dragging me and Mica nodded to Sanders to let me go. I returned to where I was standing and straightened my uniform, delaying the inevitable. "Captain, Tameth told you about the Asgard, right? Well, that's who attacked us. They came to kill us all."  
  
The Captain came up to me, we were standing face to face. She reached her hand up to my head. By the time she reached my forehead, I knew what she was doing. Janeway took my hat off my head and handed it to me. "Now, Mister Paris, we might take you a little more seriously." She said moving back about a meter. "Mister Paris, we were hit by charges that were set off too soon, the group of people that left the charges were near, so I thought we were being attacked."  
  
**_God dammit!_** I thought. **_Why does the Asgard have to be so discreet?_**  
  
"Did you meet with those people?" I asked. Maybe they detected the Asgard ship.  
  
"No, they left in a hurry, they were probably afraid of us." Janeway replied. "Lieutenant, I will not stand here and listen to anymore of what you have to say. You have abandoned this crew, not once, but twice. Why should I believe you anymore when I can't even trust you to stay in one place without leaving?"  
  
"Captain," I started. I had to think of some way for them to believe me since Thor wasn't going to lend a hand. "I was on the Asgard ship. Where do you think I was, home resting?" Bad idea, very, very bad idea. Janeway just stared at me her eyes as cold as ice. I, naturally, was so scared; I started thinking of my will. Just as Janeway was about to say something, the doctor asked her to turn to her Emergency Medical view screen.  
  
Janeway nodded to Chakotay, whom was miraculously still sitting, and he pushed a couple buttons and the EMH was on the main view screen.  
  
"What did you call me for Captain?" the EMH asked.  
  
"Doctor, I never called you." The Captain answered. She was about to say more, but B'Elanna, Neelix, and Kes got out of the turbolift. Janeway looked at them. "Now why are you three here?"  
  
"Captain, you called over the comm. to report to the Bridge immediately." B'Elanna replied. Neelix and Kes nodded, saying they had the same experience.  
  
"I haven't called anyone over the comm. recently." Janeway looked a little confused, but after few seconds, everyone managed to stare at me. I could even feel the Doc's holographic eyes burning through the back of my head.  
  
"What? Why are you all staring at me?" I asked.  
  
"We are all staring at you because it seems that when something outlandish happens, you usually seemed to be related to the cause." Tuvok said in his toned downed voice. It's true, but I know for a fact that I'm just as confused as they are. 


	11. I Risked My Life for the Crew

At Any Cost- Ch. 11- I Risked My Life for the Crew  
  
"Okay, Tuvok, you have a point. Whenever strange things happen, I'm usually related to the cause, but not this time." I said. Where's Thor when you need him?  
  
"I've had enough. Lieutenant Mica, Ensign Sanders, take Mister Paris to the Brig. I want three guards in the Brig watching Lieutenant Paris twenty-four hours a day." Janeway practically yelled. Mica and Sanders grabbed me again and this time didn't drag me, but put their phasers to my back urging me towards the turbolift.  
  
"Captain..." I whispered.  
  
"No, Lieutenant Paris, I don't want to hear anymore from you! Now take him away!" Janeway sat back in her chair. As I walked past Harry, he looked a little stunned. And just as I got into the turbolift, I heard a transporter beam.  
  
I looked out through the closing doors of the turbolift to see who or what beamed in and the only thing a saw before Sanders pulled me back into the lift was a grey head. Sanders ordered the lift to the Brig and as soon as it started, I started to go crazy.  
  
"Something just beamed in; shouldn't we go see what it was?" I was saying a little too fast. If I could, I would've started to climb the turbolift walls. "We should go see. Just let me turn the turbolift around, we'll go back."  
  
"Lieutenant Paris," Sanders started a little irritated by me. "calm down or else I will have to sedate you."  
  
"But we should go back, right Mica?" I asked. Mica just stared at me blankly. It was then I decided to take matters into my own hands. "Computer, reroute turbolift to the Bridge." The lift stopped and started going to the Bridge.  
  
"Computer, delay that request. Continue going to the Brig." Mica said.  
  
"Lieutenant, please be quiet." Sanders tried to sound calm.  
  
I decided that now was the time to be quiet, Sanders was starting to sound angry and she has the phaser, so I'm actually going to listen. I looked at Mica again and he didn't even turn his head towards me. The next thing I knew, Sanders, Mica, and I were in this white light and then in the Briefing room.  
  
Mica and Sanders were near the door and Tuvok dismissed them. I saw Janeway standing at the head of the table and Thor was standing next to her. The senior staff were all sitting in their seats around the table, Neelix, Kes, and the Doctor included (the EMH was on their emergency medical channel.)  
  
"Where the hell were you when I needed you, Thor?" I asked practically yelling at him.  
  
"I needed to ask the High Council if it was alright for me to join you upon returning to Voyager." Thor answered.  
  
"Why can't you do something spontaneous for once?" I asked. "They could've killed me!" I looked at Janeway my arms up in the air. Not a good thing to say, she was staring me like she actually _did_ want to kill me. "No wait, never mind. Good timing Thor, best in the world, the galaxy, no waits, both of our galaxies!" I was faking a smile and nodding my head. Okay, now I made them go from angry to thinking I'm insane. That's a definite step in the wrong direction. "You know what, I'll let you guys do all the talking." So I just stood there and shut up. I noticed out the window was Thor's ship.  
  
"Captain Janeway," Thor started. "my ship was the one that attacked you and we programmed a holographic ship and holographic charges as a cover- up. Since we are more advanced, we gave them false readings to make you think that there were several people onboard.  
  
"You should be very happy that Lieutenant Paris was onboard, Captain. If it weren't for him, you would all be dead, including him." Janeway and the others just turned to me. I looked around and shrugged.  
  
"They were going to kill you guys." I said in a pretty low voice. "It was my fault that you were about to be killed, so I took responsibility and tried to save you guys. I was willing to risk my life, but I found a pretty good bargaining chip. Oh, and Captain, be careful, be very careful."  
  
"Tameth?" she asked.  
  
"It's only a little debt that we have to repay." I replied. "Don't worry, Captain, I'll make sure he follows the rules this time."  
  
"Yes, and by the time Enin Tameth comes out, my ship and I will be very far away." Thor said. "Captain, it is now obvious that Lieutenant Paris was telling you the truth. And now, since Enin Tameth's virus is gone and the Asgard High Council still deciding Lieutenant Paris's punishment, your entire crew is saved and the Asgard will reveal themselves and the Tok'ra to your galaxy. Now, if you excuse me, I need to leave before Enin Tameth comes out."  
  
"Commander Thor, thank you for clearing this all up. We hope to see you again." Janeway said.  
  
"Thor, wait, can I ask you something?" I asked. I went over to where he was standing and we went into that dark corner, out of earshot of the others. "What about, you-know-who?"  
  
"We will stay within range until he comes back and we will contact your ship when we're ready to leave." Thor replied. We came out of the corner and Thor pushed the back of his hand and was beamed back to his ship.  
  
Janeway and the rest of the senior staff were still in the Briefing room several minutes after Thor left, staring at me.  
  
"What? Do I have something on my face? Why are you all staring at me?" I asked.  
  
"You saved us." B'Elanna said. "You actually risked your _life_ to save us at the risk of you dying."  
  
"I think that we've already established that." I replied. "It's not a big deal. I know that any person on this ship would've done the same thing."  
  
"Lieutenant?" Janeway said a little bit of a grin on her face. "You are very lucky. If it weren't for Thor, you would've stayed in the Brig indefinitely. But, you had to get the luck of the draw with Thor coming to your rescue after you coming to our rescue."  
  
"Paris, I think I owe you my life again." Chakotay smiled and stood up. "What is it now, two lives I owe you?" I just smiled back. The senior staff all went onto the bridge and I thankfully got to take the helm. It was the first time in several weeks. Feeling the ship move beneath me is a great feeling, though, a change of clothes is defiantly needed. 


	12. Leave Him Alone

At Any Cost- Ch.12- Leave Him Alone  
  
Just as I put the coordinates in for the Alpha Quadrant, Thor came up on the view screen.  
  
"We are about to depart, Captain Janeway." Thor said. "I am sorry I can not stay longer, but I must have a... conversation with the Goa'uld, especially Hathor. Lieutenant Paris, I will see you again." He nodded his head and cut the communication.  
  
"Lieutenant Paris, I think you should take the rest of the day and tomorrow off. Oh, and don't let Tameth out, not yet." Janeway smiled. I went to the turbolift and Harry followed. We both called for our decks and the lift started.  
  
He wasn't smiling; he hadn't smiled since Hathor's attack. This whole thing must've hit him really hard. Finding out your friend is part of a different race than first suspected and he not telling you is a little nerve racking.  
  
"Hey." I said, trying to get him to talk. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Why didn't you tell us in the first place, with Hathor?" He asked.  
  
"Well gee, I'm sorry, I knew I should've told you guys that I was apart of a race that wasn't known to many people." I replied sarcastically. "Harry, would you seriously have believed me if it weren't for the Asgard?"  
  
"No." He said in a low voice. "But you could've found proof or something that would convince us."  
  
"No matter what I did, no one would believe me. For god's sake Harry, you didn't even believe me! If my best friend wouldn't believe me, who would?" I asked.  
  
"Point taken, but, Tom, why did you leave? You left us all to die, only to come back." He asked, tuff question.  
  
"I had to. Hathor would've killed everyone just to get me and she almost did, but I stopped her." I answered. "We're still buddies right?"  
  
"I don't know. Sure you might still be you, but after what you've done, running away when we could've helped, you're not the person who _I_ thought you were." Harry said, a little somber. "You have two other people living inside you and you can change into them! Hell, they might've changed you from a nice guy to a lying, outsider. You might have really dangerous people inside you and it scares me that at any moment they can come out. I don't know what we are, Tom. Just, for now, leave me alone."  
  
I was completely and utterly shocked. Harry, the nicest, friendliest, and most naïve young man said, 'leave me alone.' One and a half years on Voyager and we went through the thick and the thin, but this time is just too much for him to handle. The lift stopped and Harry got off on his deck.  
  
**_Why did I have to do this?_** I thought. **_If Harry doesn't want to continue our friendship, what about everyone else? Sure they all seemed so happy, but they're probably faking it. Damn, why did I have to tell them? Why do I always do this to myself?  
_**  
The lift stopped at my deck and I practically ran to my quarters. I took my injection and took a shower. I got ready for bed and tried to clear my head of all these questions. I slipped into my bed and called for the lights out. I tried to move the blankets over, but they were stuck on something, or someone. I called for the lights on and saw Q lying in the bed next to me in an old pink night gown with a little hat.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?!?!?!?" I yelled jumping out of the bed. "What're you doing in my bed?"  
  
"Calm down Tommyboy. I just wanted to tell you that I stopped the Vidiians and Kazon. They won't be attacking Voyager together." Q smiled sitting up in the bed.  
  
"Couldn't you have told me that when I first came in?" I asked annoyed.  
  
"I just got here, so, no." He smiled and snapped his fingers. He was gone, but I had the distinct feeling of him watching me. Ignoring the feeling I got into bed. It was hard to fall asleep, but eventually I did.  
  
I woke up to find B'Elanna hovering over me. She wasn't smiling, just like Harry.  
  
"How'd you get in here?" I asked sitting up. B'Elanna sat on my bed and just looked at me.  
  
"I used my code to get in." She replied. "We need to talk."  
  
"What time is it?" I asked yawning.  
  
"O two hundred." She answered. I looked at her surprised. "We need to talk, but I guess I can meet you for lunch or something." She got up to leave.  
  
"No, wait, we can talk now, I don't mind." I said grabbing her hand. She looked at our clutched hands and sat back down. "Listen-" She cleared her throat and I realized that I was still holding her hand. "Oh, sorry about that." I let go and started over. "Listen, I'm sorry about what Tameth said about you being my girlfriend. Believe me; I'll make sure he leaves you alone when he's out and about."  
  
"Thanks, but that's not what I wanted to talk about." B'Elanna said, in the same low voice as Harry had yesterday. "Tom, I-"  
  
"You're doing the same thing as Harry." I whispered. "You don't want me around. To quote Harry, you want me to 'leave you alone.'"  
  
"What did Harry do?" She asked. I told her everything that happened yesterday. "Harry actually said, 'leave me alone?'"  
  
"Yes, and he meant it." I replied.  
  
"I'm going to kill him." She murmured. "Why did he do that? There's no point! Just because things have changed doesn't mean that you two should stop being friends!"  
  
"But you were going to do the same thing." I assumed. I'm confused.  
  
"No, Tom." She claimed. She put her hand on my hand. "I wanted to talk about what happened. I want to say thank you and how surprised I was that you left us the first time. I also wanted to know if you knew what kind of engines the Asgard has." We laughed and she kept her hand on mine, it felt good and so... right.  
  
"Tom, I understand your reasoning for leaving, but I don't get why you left so suddenly. I saw your face when Hathor was on the comm again. You looked angry." B'Elanna went quiet.  
  
"You were there when Jack told the senior staff about how he killed Hathor. Hathor had a lot of enemies. One of them was Jack's team, Hathor hated two people most of all, one was Daniel whom Hathor tried to do it with and the other was Jack. She hated Jack the most. Jack wasn't too thrilled about Hathor, so when I saw her on the view screen in Engineering, I knew she was going to do something. Also, not only my hatred for her was showing, but Jack's." I whispered. B'Elanna held onto my hand tighter. I decided to tell her what happened while I was on Hathor's ship.  
  
"Tom, to be honest, I don't think I would've be so courageous to risk my life. I mean on both counts. You risk your life to save Voyager when we were going to be destroyed by Hathor and another time when the Asgard were going to kill us and you. Thanks." B'Elanna smiled and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Now **_that_** felt like it was right. "Now, don't die yet, Paris, you're this ship's lucky charm." WE both smiled and she let go of my hand and left.  
  
"Computer, what time is it?" I asked.  
  
_"O three forty seven hundred hours."_ The computer responded.  
  
**_ That took awhile._** I thought. _**Wow, first Harry says he doesn't want to be friends anymore. Then, I hold B'Elanna's hand for a nanosecond. Next, she holds my hand for twenty minutes. And then to finish it all up, she kisses me! Sure it was only on the cheek, but it was incredible! I should do weird things more often.  
**_  
I decided that sleep wasn't going to be an option because of what's been happening so I decided to get breakfast.  
  
It was around four thirty in the morning when I received a message.

* * *

_Lieutenant Tom Paris,  
  
Please meet me in my ready room at O twelve hundred. I think that we should discuss these past events.  
  
Captain Kathryn Janeway  
_

* * *

Looks like Janeway wants to talk. What else can happen? 


	13. Area 51

Author's Note: **This is the last chapter!!! I will be starting another story soon.  
**  
At Any Cost- Ch. 13- Area 51  
  
At O eleven hundred forty-five hours, I started down to the Captain's Ready room. I was starving, but I had a bet that after our little 'talk', I wouldn't be too hungry. Anyway, the Captain would probably feed me; at least she would've done it for anyone she knew. But then again, as Harry said before, 'I'm not the person who he thought I was.'  
  
When I got into the lift, I noticed that Harry was in it. He stepped aside to let me in.  
  
"Going to the Bridge?" Harry asked. I just nodded a yes. The turbolift resumed towards the Bridge. "I thought you had the day off."  
  
"I do, the Captain wants to talk." I replied. Harry just nodded. This was just too awkward, but I decided against yelling at him and just stood there.  
  
"B'Elanna woke me up at around four in the morning." Harry said. "She started yelling at me and my neighbor started pounding on the wall. B'Elanna just told him to shut up and deal with it." We shared a laugh, just a little one, but it was a laugh.  
  
"She woke me up at around two in the morning and I've been up ever since." I said. "She wanted to say thanks for saving her and she forced out the conversation that we had from me."  
  
"Well, you know B'Elanna, when she wants something, she'll get it one way or the other." Harry smiled. "It's okay, I'm not mad, but I still need some time alone."  
  
"I totally get you. I understand completely." I said. The lift stopped and Harry went to his station and I went to ring the door chime to the Captain's Ready room. The Captain called me into her ready room.  
  
On her desk, there was a coffee cup that, by the look of it had been used several times. No doubt she also had a long night and she probably also woke up early. Those 'past events' must've done a number on her. I stood at attention; thank god I wore my uniform! Janeway was sitting at her desk; hand around the coffee cup, about to pick it up. She was staring at her computer and finally looked up after several minutes.  
  
"Lieutenant, at ease." She said. "Please, sit down over there." She was pointing towards the couch. I walked over there and sat down. "Would you like something to eat, Lieutenant?"  
  
"I'll have tomato soup-" I started.  
  
"Let me guess, hot, plain tomato soup." We both smiled. It seems some things are never forgotten. "What do you want to drink?"  
  
"Coffee would be good." I said. Janeway ordered more coffee and some chicken parmesan. "Captain," Janeway handed me my food and my coffee, and boy did I need that coffee! "I'm sorry for the way Tameth acted when you talked to him, and for what he said in that holodeck thing. I'll make sure he doesn't do that when he's around for that one day that will at some point happen. I think Jack and I have found a way to keep him from going against the rules."  
  
"And what would that be?" She asked. We started to eat and drink.  
  
"Well, it's actually three different ways. Jack's way is to take a stab at Dukat every time he disobeys." I told her. She looked at me for a second. "Tameth doesn't like it when someone else kills Dukat. He has a _really_ bad vendetta against him. My way is to show Dukat killing everyone he loves, problem is, he doesn't love a lot things. I know, a little more mean, but believe me, it should work. And the other one is sort of a punishment, the same thing we did to him in the Briefing room."  
  
"You and Jack did that?" She asked a little stunned. I nodded. "We thought he was having a heart attack or something life threatening!"  
  
"It can't be life threatening because he's already dead, so it would be death threatening." We laughed a better laugh than the laugh Harry and I shared earlier. We stopped and then it was sort of an awkward silence.  
  
"Actually, Lieutenant, that isn't exactly what I wanted to talk about." She said. "I wanted to talk more about the Asgard and anything else you're keeping a secret."  
  
**_ The Stargate!!!!!!_** I was screaming in my head. **_Don't tell her!!!! No matter what, don't let the secret out!!!_**  
  
"Like what about the Asgard?" I asked, pretending to sound baffled.  
  
"How did Colonel O'Neill meet the Asgard?" She asked.  
  
**_Tell her you met the Asgard by Roswell or some other alien crash!!_** The screaming was starting again in my head. **_Tell her you met him in Area 51!!! Remember, don't tell her about the Stargate!!!_**  
  
"Captain has you ever heard of the famous crash at Roswell, New Mexico?" I asked. She shook her head yes. "Area 51?" Another yes. "Okay, well, when the famous 'alien' crashed in Roswell, it was rumored that it was taken to a _very_ secretive and sensitive place called Area 51."  
  
"That was Thor?" She asked in disbelief.  
  
"No. That was a scout ship sent from an Asgard ship." I replied. We were getting into the conversation. "The ship that came after, it was Thor's." She looked surprised. "I'll explain it all later about age. Thor communicated with Area 51 and Jack and his team met him at Area 51. Thor came and took the scout ship and its occupant home. Thor came back now and again and he liked Jack the most and they became friends."  
  
**_Thank god for_** _Whose Line Is It Anyway?**!!!!! **_I thought. **_If it weren't for that, I wouldn't know anything about imbrov!  
_**  
"Okay, what about the age thing?" Janeway asked. I told her about the cloning and stuff. "Mister Paris, I'm glad that we have had this talk. Dismissed, Lieutenant." I got up to leave and was almost out the door when Janeway called back, "And save Tameth's day off for another day, sometime in the far, far future." We smiled.  
  
"He'll be completely disappointed; Captain, but Jack and I can control him." I said, again I was almost out the door when she called again.  
  
"Tell him that since we'll saving his day off until later, we won't keep him in the Brig." She smiled and I just stared at her.  
  
"Captain, you are never easy to predict. _I_ didn't even think of that and I had two other voices in on it, Culnac and Jack that is. Goodbye." I finally left.  
  
I looked around the Bridge and saw Chakotay smiling from his command chair, still grateful that I saved his life and the crew's. Tuvok was standing at his console, being Vulcan. Harry was also at his console, but he still wasn't smiling. I got into the turbolift.  
  
Life is so perplexing. At one point its happy happy joy joy. The next it's 'leave me alone.' Dammit, why does this always happen to me? Why? 


End file.
